Abstract
We successfully diagnosed a patient as wandering spleen preoperatively and performed a splenopexy. A 5-year-old girl visited another hospital because of a periomphalic pain, and was pointed out dislocation of the spleen. With close examination she was diagnosed as having a wandering spleen, and was admitted to the hospital for operation. Operative exploration revealed that the spleen lacked peritoneal structure for fixation and twisted clockwise by three turns. but no infarction was found, with sound pulsation of the splenic artery. Intraoperative trans-splenic portography confirmed the patent splenic vein, and consequently splenopexy was performed.
Wandering spleen is a rare entity and we are often compelled to operate on without making the definite diagnosis for the disease. But a recent progression in imaging diagnosis this disease has been increasingly diagnosed preoperatively. In this case abdominal ultrasonography was most useful. In the treatment splenectomy is often employed because of infarction due to torsion of the organ. Attention has been called to the fact that infectious diseases can occur after splenectomy in pediatric patients. It is desirable to make an early diagnosis and to employ spleen-preserving splenopexy.
